Day two of Ed Hood's Belgian jaunt took him to the roadside of Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne on Sunday, via one or two of his favourite hostelries. The more relaxed start allowed a bit of bike hardware inspection, and rider mingling, but with a race to watch the call of the bar L'Escale was strong.

If cycling is a sport of suffering, most of the time that suffering comes down to our muscles feeling like anchors on a climb or exploding in agony in a sprint. But fatigue, like love, is a many-splendored thing. Does the type and location of fatigue occur at different parts of our nerves and muscles depending on the type of exercise that we do?

Area Zero-D’Amico-Bottecchia got off to an excellent start, taking a fine third place with Paolo Ciavatta at the GP Izola in Slovenia on Sunday. The Italian continental team directed by team manager Ivan De Paolis took its first podium this season in the third race of the year.

Two races in Belgium at the week-end, so we put Ed Hood roadside in Flanders, and he was in his element. Cobbles, riders, fans, bikes and beer; all you need for two full days of Flemish fun. Although it was a sober Ed who walked stunned out of a bar after Saturday's Het Nieuwsblad debacle!

Race report: After yesterday's lemming-like ride into self-destruction, Etixx-QuickStep's riders would no doubt have taken to the road with Patrick Lefevre's team-talk thunder-clapping around their ears like a Pete Townsend power-chord from a 1970s Who concert. Today, they got it right in the end with a fine sprint win for Mark Cavendish.

Race Report: Up against three Etixx-Quickstep riders, and three of the best classics riders in the world, it was last year’s winner Ian Stannard of Team Sky who showed them all how to ride the Omloop. Boonen, Vandenbergh and Terpstra could do nothing to hold back a rampaging Englishman who wanted this win more than any other in his career.

The BMC Racing Team was notified Friday by the Belgian Cycling Federation, Koninklijke Belgische Wielrijdersbond, that Greg Van Avermaet has been requested to appear in relation to the investigation of Dr. Chris Mertens.

Etixx - Quick-Step was able to perform some last minute recon of 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad thanks to good whether the day before the race! Watch as we break down what we expect from the opening weekend of the Classics!

One of my favorite rides in recent memory, and possibly ever – was a loop from Bellagio, up the Madonna del Ghisallo, then the Colma di Sormano, and back along the shores of Lake Como to my base at Il Perlo Panorama.

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Area Zero-D’Amico-Bottecchia’s season is progressing. On Sunday, March 1st, the Italian continental formation led by Ivan De Paolis will be lining up for the start of the GP Izola Butan Plin in Slovenia, a race in which Area Zero obtained an excellent second place last year.